The Arctic Sunrise – the Greenpeace ship that has sailed against whalers and polluters, onto newspaper pages and newscasts and into some of the environmental activists’ highest-profile, most embattled protests – was swarmed on Saturday. Not by pirates. By curious tourists.

Guests learn about the Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise ship, docked at Rainbow Harbor, in Long Beach on Saturday, August. 4, 2018. The environmental group is offering free tours to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the next two weekends, Aug. 4-5 and 11-12.
(Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Guests board the Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise ship, docked at Rainbow Harbor, in Long Beach on Saturday, August. 4, 2018. The environmental group is offering free tours to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the next two weekends, Aug. 4-5 and 11-12.
(Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Guests learn about the Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise ship, docked at Rainbow Harbor, in Long Beach on Saturday, August. 4, 2018. The environmental group is offering free tours to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the next two weekends, Aug. 4-5 and 11-12.
(Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

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Guests walk past the speedboats aboard the Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise ship, docked at Rainbow Harbor, in Long Beach on Saturday, August. 4, 2018. The environmental group is offering free tours to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the next two weekends, Aug. 4-5 and 11-12.
(Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

The interior of the Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise ship, docked at Rainbow Harbor, in Long Beach on Saturday, August. 4, 2018. The environmental group is offering free tours to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the next two weekends, Aug. 4-5 and 11-12.
(Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

The crews latest mascot aboard the Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise ship, docked at Rainbow Harbor, in Long Beach on Saturday, August. 4, 2018. The environmental group is offering free tours to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the next two weekends, Aug. 4-5 and 11-12.
(Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

L-R Julie Carey signs up for a membership with Julie Mitchell after she toured the Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise ship, docked at Rainbow Harbor, in Long Beach on Saturday, August. 4, 2018. The environmental group is offering free tours to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the next two weekends, Aug. 4-5 and 11-12.
(Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Guests sit on the helipad aboard the Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise ship, docked at Rainbow Harbor, in Long Beach on Saturday, August. 4, 2018. The environmental group is offering free tours to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the next two weekends, Aug. 4-5 and 11-12.
(Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Guests learn about the Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise ship, docked at Rainbow Harbor, in Long Beach on Saturday, August. 4, 2018. The environmental group is offering free tours to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the next two weekends, Aug. 4-5 and 11-12.
(Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

The Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise ship is docked at Rainbow Harbor, in Long Beach on Saturday, August. 4, 2018. The environmental group is offering free tours to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the next two weekends, Aug. 4-5 and 11-12.
(Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Halmets and jackets for the crew aboard the Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise ship, docked at Rainbow Harbor, in Long Beach on Saturday, August. 4, 2018. The environmental group is offering free tours to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the next two weekends, Aug. 4-5 and 11-12.
(Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Living quarters aboard the Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise ship, docked at Rainbow Harbor, in Long Beach on Saturday, August. 4, 2018. The environmental group is offering free tours to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the next two weekends, Aug. 4-5 and 11-12.
(Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

The dining hall aboard the Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise ship, docked at Rainbow Harbor, in Long Beach on Saturday, August. 4, 2018. The environmental group is offering free tours to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the next two weekends, Aug. 4-5 and 11-12.
(Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

The Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise ship is docked at Rainbow Harbor, in Long Beach on Saturday, August. 4, 2018. The environmental group is offering free tours to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the next two weekends, Aug. 4-5 and 11-12.
(Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

The organization moored the iconic ship in Long Beach’s Rainbow Harbor as part of the environmental group’s assault on plastic pollution in the ocean and its crusade to persuade California to turn away from fossil fuels.

Free tours were offered of the ship, tied up at the Pine Avenue Pier on Saturday. The group’s leaders hope such tours will help spotlight their efforts to “campaign for a green and peaceful future for 40 years.”

“It was informational and interesting,” said Brandi Schmalreid of Long Beach, who was eager to tour the ship to see what it was all about. “It was nice because they didn’t push any agenda they just gave information.”

According to Greenpeace communications specialist Myriam Fallon, the ship was acquired in 1995 from a seal-hunting company and renovated for environmental use. The ship is staffed by a 16-member crew and can sleep up to 34. The smallest of the organization’s three ships, the Arctic Sunrise has traveled the world over multiple times, she said.

The crews latest mascot aboard the Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise ship, docked at Rainbow Harbor, in Long Beach on Saturday, August. 4, 2018. The environmental group is offering free tours to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the next two weekends, Aug. 4-5 and 11-12.(Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

“It was extremely informative and the staff had fascinating personal stories,” Maryclair Buchanan said after touring the ship.”I also liked the information on upcoming campaigns and the global summit.”

Free tours to the public will continue Sunday, Aug. 5, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and again on Aug. 11-12.

The 163-foot-long icebreaker has been the centerpiece of several of the group’s most publicized events, including various efforts to stop Japanese whaling ship activities.

In 2013, the Russian government seized the Arctic Sunrise and its activist crew while they were protesting Arctic oil drilling by the Russian company Gazprom.

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